Soap tip-out tray



Feb. 6, 1962 w. E. EVANS SOAP TIP-OUT TRAY Filed NOV. 18. 1959 SPONGE 50 INVENTOR.

Unite States 3,019,549 SOAP TIP-OUT TRAY Walter E. Evans, R.R. 2, North Manchester, Ind. Filed Nov. 18, 1959, Ser. No. 853,879 3 Claims. (Cl. 45-28) The present invention relates to an improved soap dish or tray for use in a bathroom, washroom or similar station or place where a cake of soap is made available near a basin or the like and has to do, more in particular, with improved soap holding and ejecting means, said means being adapted for single handed operation and control.

As may well be self-evident, having read the preceding statement of the invention, it is not new to provide a suitably constructed tray or dish and to equip the same interiorly with a tip-up type ejector. A significant and analogous prior art example generally indicative of the state of the art could well be the adaptation disclosed in the Howerton Patent 2,842,893. With or without reference to the patent, it is admittedly old in the art to equip the suitably designed receptacle portion of the tray with a hingedly mounted liftable and lowerable plate, grid or equivalent element and, having provided the same with a trip handle, to load it with a cake of soap and then trip it in a manner to flip the cake into the operators hand.

Compared with the prior art and properly contrasted it will be evident that the present invention features, specifically speaking, a novel tray. That is to say, the side walls of the tray at the open front of the tray are specially constructed to provide expansible andcontractible hinging and supporting members for cooperating end portions of the attaching and hinging shaft of the improved tip-out means. In addition the bottom of the tray has an upwardly and outwardly sloping portion defining a satisfactory receptacle for a sponge, that is a sponge which catches the soap laden drippings.

Another improvement resides in the provision in the receptacle portion of the tray of rubber or equivalent bumpers which provide effective check-stops and minimiZe noise making.

The invention also features a novel generally L-shaped tip-out the main plate portion of which is provided with drainage holes and a multiplicity of upstanding embossment or bosses which serve to elevate the cake of soap and promote air circulation and consequent better func tioning of this part of the tip-out.

Novelty is also predicated on the fact that the junctional portion between the embossed plate and the tripping flange is provided with a simple rod or pin, the end portions of which provide journals which may be snapped into removably retained positions in yieldable dimplelike depressions serving as bearings.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a soap tray embodying the improved adaptations and novelly constructed tip-out.

FIG. 2 is a sectional View taken approximately on the plane of the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are sections on the lines 3-3 and 44 respectively of FIG. 2.

The part of the over-all device which comprises the soap dish or tray is denoted generally by the numeral 6 and the companion and complemental part which is 3,619549 Patented Feb. 6, 1962 broadly the ejector or ejector means is denoted by the numeral 8.

The tray is preferably constructed from appropriate sheet material and is characterized by a U-shaped body portion embodying a pair of spaced parallel coplanar vertical sides or walls 10 and a bight portion or connecting wall 12 which is screwed or otherwise fastened to the support surface 14. The upper lip-like edges of the side walls are flared slightly outward as at 16 to facilitate deflecting the cake of soap into the dish or receptacle portion when it is being returned after use. The lower forward portions of the side walls are inclined upwardly and outwardly as at 18 to accommodate the bottom or bottom wall. The latter part comprises a horizontal bottom 20 and an upwardly inclined or sloping portion 212, suitable flanges 24 being provided and telescoped within the cooperating walls 10' and 12 and suitably secured thereto to provide an open front tray or receptacle portion. A drip catching spohge is denoted at 26. On the underneath of the inclined bottom wall portion there is a block-like cushion 28 which serves in the manner shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2. The end portions of the side walls that is the forward ends are gradually narrowed in width as at 3i) and are then fashioned into circular terminal heads 32. These heads in turn are concave-convex in form with the convex sides facing each other as shown and are centrally provided with dimple-like depressions 34 constituting cooperating snap-in type bearings. These bearings serve to accommodate the attaching and journalled ends 36 (FIG. 4) of the rocker shaft or pin 38. This rocker shaft is an integral part of the ejector means. The ejector means is a simple L-shaped lever, as it were. More specifically, it comprises a generally rectangular slightly and suitably curved holding, lifting and tip out plate 40. This plate has drainage holes 42 and a plurality of embossments 44 which function in the manner evident from the dotted line showing seen in FIG. 2. The depending apron-like or flange part 46 constitutes a push-pull trip which is operable by the fingers in the manner shown, the rocker shaft being fixed in the bent portion 48 with its ends extending beyond the bent portion and providing the snap-in hinging and journalling means clearly depicted in FIG. 4. It follows that the over-all ejector may be readily applied and removed.

With reference again to the bumpers or check-stops each comprises a miniature door stop, as it were, comprising a screw or the like 50 (see FIG. 2) securing a truncated conical rubber or equivalent bumper-collar 52 in place. These bumpers are properly paired and serve to check the downward drop of the plate 40 when the latter returns to its soap supporting position, the position shown in full lines in the accompanying drawing.

Inasmuch as the generally L-shaped lever-like tip-out device has an attached rocker shaft with hinging ends it will be evident that said device may be readily inserted and removed and therefore washed and cleaned from time to time to overcome possible gumming-up. The simple concave-convex heads 32 with their central dimpled portions 34 provide an ideal adaptation by way of which the desired results are attained. In fact, all of the components join in, in a combination sense in that each contributes its proportionate share in providing what is believed to be an advanced ejector-type soap tray, one in which intended accomplishments are had and assured.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A mechanical ejecting and serving-type holder for a cake of soap comprising a tray embodying a U-shaped member having vertical opposed side Walls and a connecting wall therebetween, the outer ends of the side walls being narrowed in width and terminating in supporting and hinging heads, and a bottom between the aforementioned walls cooperating therewith and defining a receptacle portion, a generally L-shaped member providing a holder and tip-out for a cake of soap and having a normal horizontal plate portion located for use in the receptacle portion, and a depending flange constituting a manually aotuatable trip, said member being provided with a rocker shaft the ends of which are fashioned into journals, said journals being removably mounted for operation in bearings provided therefor in the aforementioned heads, said flange portion being engageable beneath said inclined bottom portion to be suddenly stopped thereby for ejecting the soap from the member by the force of inertia, said heads being of circular concave-convex form with the convex sides facing each other and with the central portions thereof provided with dimples, said dimples defining the aforementioned bearings.

2. The combination of claim 1, said plate being reticulated for draining the soap, and a sponge in the receptacle portion underlying the plate for receiving drippings therefrom.

3. A soap holder in accordance with claim 2, together with resilient bumpers on said connecting wall in the path of the free end portion of the plate for arresting and supporting same in vertically spaced relation to the sponge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Robinson Sept. 6, 1949 Milbrand't Apr. 24, 1951 Howerton July 15, 1958 

